Teammates

Hi Friends,

This month has been chalk filled with fun holidays and events. We've had so many interesting and engaging themes to work with and now it's time to talk about something very important and a little more serious in our classroom.

I like to use the book Teammates by Peter Golenbock to explain a little bit about Black History to my students. They are always engaged in this story because they can't believe what an unbelievable man Jackie Robinson was. Sports is also something they know and can understand which makes this story great for making connections.

The book tells the story of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese. I just love how brave these two men were and how Jackie just never gave up even though people made playing for the Dodgers unbearable for him. We do talk about why Jackie was treated badly and discuss how this is not right and should not happen. We make connections and try to come up with ways to be kind and to help anyone who might be treated badly.

We write about what it is to be a good teammate and a good friend. We look at what kind of friend we are and how we can be even better. The discussions surrounding this book are always so rich and meaningful. The writing I get from my students after reading and discussing this book is always very impressive too. Kids are amazing and we can learn so much from them.

The students always love to create a craft to accompany their writing and this one is always a big hit. I allow them to choose whichever word is most meaningful to them to glue on the baseball cap. Some choices include: teammate, friendship, fairness, etc...

One of my favorite activities from this pack is the "Cath It or Bat Away" activity. There are baseballs filled with actions (some kind and some unkind) and the students must decide whether they should catch the ball or bat it away. It's always a great way to reflect on how they are treating others and make sure that they are being kind.